When Lytton High school was approached by the Ministry of Social Development, the Ministry of Education, and Kāinga Ora about establishing a building academy at the school, principal Wiremu Elliot said "yes"!
"The values that they were promoting were congruent with what our beliefs were, around education, and giving opportunities at a younger age," Elliot said.
In its first year of running, the students notched up some impressive achievements, building their own classroom and completing the floor for a two-bedroom house. Once built, the house will go to Kāinga Ora for a family in need in the Gisborne community.
The classroom had an official opening last week accompanied by a short presentation for the 2023 Building Academy students.
Building Tutor Ngati Donnelly said the students start with smaller building projects such as workbenches, picnic tables, shelving, and decorative walls. But the course focus is on benefits for the students.